Cue card examples: three real decks with PDFs
Last updated: 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
These three decks were made with the cue card converter exactly as you would use it: the script was pasted, the live AI split and highlighted it, and the cards were printed to PDF without manual edits. The scripts are fictional, but every number on this page – card counts, speaking times and processing times – was measured on 5 October 2026.
Watch it work
Example 1: launch opening speech (A5)
Script: A host’s opening for a product launch: welcome, house rules, a video cue, a few figures and the hand-over to the CEO.
Settings: A5 landscape, 100 words per card, 18 pt Inter, printed two cards per A4 sheet.
Result: 176 words became 2 cards, about 1 min 21 s of speaking at 130 words per minute. The AI analysis took 8.8 seconds.
What we checked: No text was changed. The first card holds 114 words, so the font was automatically reduced to fit; for larger type, lower “Words per card” and re-split. Names, numbers, the time (22:30) and both stage cues were highlighted.
Download the print-ready PDF →
Show the source script
LAUNCH OPENING – LUMEN ONE
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the launch of Lumen One. My name is Sarah Collins, and for the next forty minutes I am your host.
[PAUSE – WAIT FOR THE ROOM TO SETTLE]
Two years ago, a team of twelve engineers in Rotterdam asked a simple question: why does planning a live event still feel like it did in 1995? Tonight you will see their answer.
Before we begin, a few practical notes. The bar stays open until 22:30. Photos are welcome, but please keep the first two rows clear for the camera crew. And if you need anything at all, look for the people in green lanyards.
[VIDEO: BRAND FILM – 2 MIN]
Lumen One is already in use at 140 venues across 9 countries. Since the pilot started on 3 March, it has handled more than 18,000 bookings, and not one of them was double-booked.
To tell you how it all began, please welcome our co-founder and chief executive, Dr. Elena Moretti.
[APPLAUSE – ELENA ENTERS STAGE LEFT]
Example 2: timed host script (A5)
Script: An MC script for an awards evening with five timed segments: doors, welcome, keynote, first award and close.
Settings: A5 landscape, 100 words per card, two cards per A4 sheet.
Result: 197 words became 5 cards – one per timed segment, because every line that starts with a time (19:30 – WELCOME) begins a new card. About 1 min 31 s of speaking; AI analysis 8.4 seconds.
What we checked: No manual edits. Every name, title and figure was highlighted, and each stage direction in brackets stands out from the spoken text.
Download the print-ready PDF →
Show the source script
19:00 – DOORS AND WELCOME DRINKS
[WALK-IN MUSIC · HOUSE LIGHTS UP]19:30 – WELCOME
Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats; our programme is about to begin. Good evening and welcome to the Northbridge Business Awards 2026. I am James Okafor, and it is my pleasure to host tonight's ceremony. A special welcome to our guest of honour, the Mayor of Northbridge, Councillor Priya Shah.19:40 – KEYNOTE
Our keynote speaker has built three companies and advised over 200 founders. Please welcome Professor Daniel Reyes.
[APPLAUSE · SPEAKER TO LECTERN]20:15 – AWARDS: INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
Thank you, Professor Reyes. We now come to the first award of the evening. Innovation of the Year recognises a product that changed how its customers work. The judges reviewed 64 entries. To present the award, please welcome Maria Lindqvist from the Northbridge Chamber of Commerce.
[STING MUSIC · WINNER CARD TO PRESENTER]21:00 – CLOSING
That brings us to the end of our ceremony. Congratulations once again to all of tonight's winners and finalists. Dinner will now be served, and the dance floor opens at 22:00. Thank you, and enjoy your evening.
[OUTRO MUSIC · HOUSE LIGHTS UP]
Example 3: panel moderator question deck (4 × 6 in)
Script: A moderator’s deck: opening, panellist introductions, one question per panellist with a back-up question, audience Q&A and close.
Settings: 4 × 6 inch index cards, 60 words per card, two cards per US Letter sheet.
Result: 221 words became 7 cards: one for the opening, one for introductions, one per question, one for audience questions and one to close. About 1 min 42 s of moderator speaking; AI analysis 10.4 seconds.
What we checked: No manual edits. Each question card keeps its back-up question in brackets so the moderator can switch without looking for another card.
Download the print-ready PDF →
Show the source script
PANEL OPENING
Welcome to our panel, "The Future of Hybrid Events". We have 45 minutes, and I want to leave the last 10 for your questions.PANELLISTS
On my left, Aisha Bello, Head of Events at Meridian Group. Next to her, Tom Hartley, founder of Stagecraft Studio. And joining us from Lisbon, Inês Carvalho, Programme Director at the Atlantic Forum.QUESTION 1 – AISHA BELLO
Aisha, Meridian ran 37 hybrid events last year. What is the one thing your online audience asked for that you did not expect?
[BACK-UP: Which format had the highest online attendance?]QUESTION 2 – TOM HARTLEY
Tom, you have said that most hybrid events fail in the first five minutes. What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?
[BACK-UP: What is the cheapest upgrade with the biggest impact?]QUESTION 3 – INÊS CARVALHO
Inês, the Atlantic Forum moved back to in-person only in 2025. Was that the right decision?
[BACK-UP: What would make you go hybrid again?]AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
Let's open it up. Please wait for the microphone and keep your question short so we can take as many as possible.
[10 MIN · ROVING MICS: ROWS 3 AND 9]CLOSING
Please join me in thanking Aisha, Tom and Inês. Coffee is served in the foyer; the next session starts at 15:30 in Hall B.
Try it with your own script
Paste your speech or upload a Word, PDF or PowerPoint file on the cue card maker. Choose the card size first – A5 and half letter hold about 100 words, 4 × 6 inch and A6 about 60, 3 × 5 inch about 40. For more on sizes see how many cue cards you need.
Frequently asked questions
Were these cue cards edited by hand?
No. The text was pasted, split and highlighted automatically, then printed. Where the result could be improved – for example too many highlights – the page says so.
How long does it take to turn a speech into cue cards?
In these examples the AI analysis took between 6.6 and 14 seconds for scripts of 135 to 221 words, measured in a browser on 5 October 2026. Longer scripts are split into sections that are processed in parallel.
Can I download the example PDFs?
Yes. Each example has a print-ready PDF: A5 cards two per A4 sheet, or 4 × 6 inch cards two per US Letter sheet, with cut lines.
More guides
- How to make cue cards for a speech or event
- Free palm card maker for speeches and oral presentations
- Turn PowerPoint speaker notes into cue cards
- Convert a PDF speech into cue cards
- How many cue cards do you need for a speech?
- Cue card makers for speeches compared
- How to write an MC script that keeps your event on time
- Run of show template: how to plan an event programme minute by minute
- What is a cue card and when should you use one?
- Free cue card template (Word, PDF): 3×5, 4×6 and A5 sizes
- Moderator cue cards: how to run a panel discussion from your cards
- How to write an award ceremony script and winner reveal cards
- Event planning checklist: what to do and when, from one month out to show day
- How to edit cue cards when the script changes at the last minute
- Opening speech examples and a simple structure for welcome remarks
- MC script examples: ready-to-use host lines from doors to closing